Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:49 pm on 23 January 2018.
It's a matter for health boards to ensure they have sufficient beds available. It's not right to say that I said beds weren't important: I said they were only part of the picture. If you look, for example, in England, where spending on social care has been hammered, England is now reaping what it has sown. We have made sure through, for example, the integrated care fund, that more people can leave hospital when they are ready. We're seeing delayed transfers of care dropping, whereas in England, of course, social care is on the verge of collapse. If you don't believe me, listen to council leaders—Conservative council leaders—in England, who are saying just that.